UK BASKETBALL| Dominique Hawkins breaks hand, out for 4 weeks

LEXINGTON — The Kentucky Wildcats received a bad break on Monday afternoon when team officials announced junior guard Dominique Hawkins will miss the next four weeks after fracturing a bone in his right hand during practice over the weekend.

Hawkins, a role player expected to log meaningful minutes this season, will undergo surgery Tuesday with expectations to return to practice in early November:

#BBN, unfortunate news to report tonight. Dominique Hawkins broke his hand this weekend and will miss four weeks. http://t.co/7Pq3GqTblB

“I really feel bad to have to report this because Dom was playing so well,” head coach John Calipari said in a press release from the university on Monday evening. “He was so much more confident, so much more skilled. There was no doubt he was in the rotation, and now he’s just got to get back and stay in shape. We’re looking forward to getting him back in November.”

The 2013 Kentucky Mr. Basketball at Madison Central has played in 56 games in his UK career, including nine starts his sophomore season.

After Kentucky lost its top-seven scorers from last season’s Final Four team to the NBA Draft, Hawkins was expected to earn expanded minutes in 2015-16, especially as one of the Wildcats premier on-ball and perimeter defenders.

I really feel bad to report this b/c Dom was playing so well. He was so much more confident, so much more skilled. https://t.co/NrOIdEsQ93

This is the second straight year the Wildcats have lost a key contributor to a practice injury after forward Alex Poythress tore his ACL during team exercises last December, missing the second half of the 2014-15 season.